The problem is that he runs without using his brain, like a headless chicken.
He's far from being that bad, but unfortunately he's also far from being too good.
I know why Lippi likes him. Always in his coaching career Lippi wanted very strong CBs, 2 wizards, a striker and tireless runners in midfield and on the flanks.
Di Livio, Pessotto, younger Camo, Nedved, Zambrotta, Perrotta for Italy. These wingers/Fullbacks were known for their stamina. Davids, Jugovic, Gattusso in midfield.
This made us look like we're team on steroids (well, maybe we were

) because most of the starting XI players had such stamina that they could play 180 minutes at the same tempo.
Of course, it's an insult to compare Pepe with some of these players, but with some you can compare him and you can see what's the story behind his call-ups for the NT.